Marketing Drive with Dan Nedelko: Recent Episodes
Dan Nedelko
Let’s talk marketing on the drive into the office at http://honeypotmarketing.com, I’ll be covering the latest and greatest marketing, business and start-up tips every day from the road.
I often hear in many different different business, the idea of building a team versus hiring a professional services provider and a trusted partner.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Take into account the true cost of building a team.
- Understand it’s your time and that is a never ending commitment.
- Your team may move on, resetting your resources and causing you even more time.
- Key team members may move on and then you really have to focus on their role and the impact on your business.
In the world of small business ownership, every decision can have a significant impact on your success and bottom line.
One critical decision that often arises is whether to hire an employee or partner with professional services for various business needs. Let’s disect the scenario and look at both options.
The Employee Hiring ScenarioLet’s start by considering the traditional route—hiring an employee. For many small to medium-sized businesses, hiring staff may seem like the natural progression to handle tasks like marketing, payroll, human resources, accounting, bookkeeping, and more.
The Initial SalarySuppose you decide to hire a marketing manager with 2-3 years of experience. In December 2023, the average starting salary for such a position in Ontario is around $42,000 annually. This amount, however, is just the beginning of your financial commitment.
Recruitment CostsRecruiting the right employee can be a time-consuming and costly process. On average, it takes about 42 days to find the ideal candidate. During this period, resources are allocated to the recruitment process, adding up to approximately $4,129.
Onboarding and Ramp-UpAfter hiring, the employee’s productivity typically remains low during the initial months. This period of onboarding and ramp-up can be conservatively estimated at one additional month’s salary, which is another $3,500.
Paid Time OffYour employee will likely require paid time off, which typically includes two weeks of vacation and two weeks of sick leave. This adds an extra $3,500 to your yearly expenses.
Payroll Taxes and BenefitsEmployers are responsible for payroll taxes, employee benefits, and contributions to health spending accounts (HSAs). Factoring these in, you’re looking at an additional $12,000 annually.
Software and ToolsTo equip your employee for success, you’ll need various software tools, such as CRM systems, project management tools, and design software. A conservative estimate for these expenses is $1,000 per month or $12,000 per year.
Total Cost of Hiring an EmployeeSumming up all these costs, the true cost of hiring one employee in this scenario comes to a staggering $84,649 annually, nearly double the initial salary.
The Alternative: Partnering with Professional ServicesNow, let’s shift our focus to the alternative—partnering with professional services. Instead of hiring an employee, you can collaborate with trusted partners who specialize in areas like marketing, payroll, human resources, accounting, bookkeeping, and more.
Cost PredictabilityOne significant advantage of partnering with professional services is cost predictability. You can typically negotiate a retainer fee, which remains consistent throughout the partnership, making it easier to budget and plan for your business expenses.
Expertise and ExperienceProfessional service providers often have years of experience and a team of specialists at their disposal. They bring industry-specific knowledge, best practices, and a track record of success to your business.
No Onboarding or Ramp-Up PeriodWhen you work with professionals, there’s no need for an onboarding or ramp-up period. They’re ready to hit the ground running from day one, delivering immediate value to your business.
No Employee-Related CostsPartnering with professional services eliminates the need to worry about payroll taxes, benefits, or employee-related costs. You pay a fixed fee for their expertise, and they handle the rest.
Focus on Your Core BusinessBy outsourcing non-core functions to professionals, you can focus on what you do best—growing your business and serving your clients.
Should You Hire Internally or Find a Partner?In conclusion, while hiring an employee may seem like the obvious choice for small businesses, it’s essential to consider the hidden costs and complexities involved. Partnering with professional services offers cost predictability, expertise, and a streamlined approach to meeting your business needs.
The decision ultimately comes down to whether you want to take on the responsibilities and costs associated with hiring, or if you’d prefer to leverage the skills and experience of trusted professionals. In many cases, the latter proves to be the more efficient and cost-effective solution for small to medium-sized businesses, but that’s not always the case. There are no silver bullets.
When evaluating the true cost of hiring versus partnering, it’s clear that the value of professional services can far outweigh the expenses of hiring and maintaining an employee.
As small business owners and entrepreneurs, we should always be building a network of trusted advisors and service providers to help us navigate the challenges of growing our businesses.
What’s the difference between a Partner and a Service Provider as it applies to professional services? Specifically Digital Marketing or Software Development?
There are some major differences IMHO…let’s dive into it.
Partners are part of the process, involved in the conversations as they are developed. Partners are on the team and involved in the development of strategy. Pro tip: when you engage a partner, engage them in your desired outcome not in the task at hand. If you’ve got a good partner, then they’ll use their experience to work with you to achieve that outcome.
Service Providers are not distinctly part of the process. They’re valuable in their own way, but they are not strategic. Service providers provide a specific task, complete that task and move on to their next project.
Each type of professional service; whether it’s a partner or a service provider fulfills a specific need and one is only superior to the other within the context of the bigger picture.
The danger? In asking for a partner when in fact you really want a service provider. That can get messy for both sides of the equation.
Enjoy this “sort of” Transcript.
Introduction: In today’s episode of The Drive, Dan Nedelko dives into a crucial distinction that often gets overlooked in the business world: the difference between a partner and a service provider. He emphasizes the importance of choosing the right term because words matter, especially when it comes to defining the relationships within your service-based business.
Defining Partners and Service Providers: Dan starts by clarifying that the definitions of a partner and a service provider are worlds apart. Service providers are there to fulfill specific requests, complete tasks, and move on. On the other hand, partners engage in a more profound relationship, actively participating in the process, and sharing their expertise and experiences.
Digital Marketing: Dan delves into the realm of digital marketing and explains that distinguishing between a partner and a service provider is crucial. Partners should be deeply involved in the client’s internal dialog, helping them understand the intricacies of their strategies. While service providers fulfill tasks efficiently, they may not contribute to strategic discussions.
Software Development: Shifting gears to software development, Dan points out that the choice between a partner and a service provider depends on the client’s technical infrastructure and needs. If you need specialized technical skills, a service provider might be suitable. However, if you seek a comprehensive understanding of how technology aligns with your business goals, a software partner with a broader experience is essential.
The Power of Partnership: Dan underscores the value of partnerships, where both parties work collaboratively to achieve desired outcomes. Partners bring a wealth of experience and want to see your business succeed. When the partnership is genuine, it becomes a powerful force for growth.
Conclusion: In closing, Dan urges listeners not to confuse partners with service providers and warns against misusing the term “partner” when seeking specific services. He emphasizes that choosing the right word is essential, as it sets the tone for the relationship.
Final Thoughts: In the best-case scenario, a partnership is a true collaboration, while a service provider fulfills a specific task. As you navigate the world of business relationships, make sure you choose the right partner or service provider based on your unique needs and goals.
Outro: That’s it for today’s podcast. We hope you found this episode enlightening. Stay safe out there, and remember, words matter in defining your business relationships.
Welcome back to The Drive with me, Dan Nedelko. Join me to learn about Business and Growth for Small Business. It’s practical, snackable, pragmatic and hopefully helpful.
In this welcome back episode I’m explaining a bit about my perspective on Business and what value I can convey to you in the rejuventated verion of The Drive.
Join me and I’ll be talking about:
- Business – running a small business as an Entrepreneur.
- Marketing – how can you make practical marketing decisions that will serve your business well.
- Technology – what can you do to leverage technology to your benefit.
- Finances – how to make the right moves FOR YOU right now.
- Government Regulation and Taxes – dealing with our glorious leaders in government and taxation issues that can protect you, your business and your family.
- Sanity – maintaining relationships while running your business.
- Peace of Mind – making sure you’re taking care of the most important person in the equation. YOU.
- Efficiency and Productivity – I’m NO guru but I’ve learned a few tricks about being efficient. When I’m efficient, I’m happier and more productive.
Thanks for being here. Remember: you know more than you realize.
Planning for marketing versus a marketing plan I've decided to resurrect my podcast in order to be more relevant to a wider audience, in addition to it being easier and more convenient for me to record a short ten to fifteen minutes podcast on my drive into the office every morning.
I'm anticipating that it will be a podcast full of tips, anecdotes, gripes, strategies, tactics and techniques that I've used over the years and in my day to day adventures in the world of startups and marketing.
If you know me then you'll know that I have a number of concurrent projects happening all of the time. The concept of the "lean startup" is not new to me. It's actually called bootstrapping, or, "starting up without any money" - this concept is as old as commerce itself.
For some reason it's the new rage in the world of technology startups, so I'll refer a bit to that audience but in reality this should be useful for any entrepreneur, small business owner or marketing/business professional making their way in this new digital economy that has developed.
Episode 1: Planning for marketing versus a marketing plan.
I cover why a marketing plan written in stone will do you no good at all, especially when you're moving quickly and defining your product or service. I give up a process I've used successfully dozens of times in both the online and offline business worlds.
Click the play button to get started, and please forgive the noise, I really am driving while I recorded this!
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I'll be covering the latest and greatest marketing, business and start-up tips every day from the road.
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